Created AIFP AI Flights not appearing.

Hi all,

 

I've been playing around with AIFP trying to create some flights from my local airport with one of the airlines based there. I've done everything correctly (so I gather) in regards to selecting the aircraft, airport and making the legs etc, I've got an outbound and return flight on a Monday at 07:40GMT.

 

I've checked for errors and compiled the flightplans saving them to the Scenery\World\Scenery folder ( Traffic_BMIRegional.bgl as the final part of the file). And I've also "save file sets as" and saved the text file as Flightplans_BMIRegional.

 

Yet when I load up FSX and head to the airport setting the day as a monday and the time at 07:39 the aircraft doesn't appear anywhere at the airport?

 

How come you are not required to select which gate/stand you want your aircraft to start and finish at? Or do you and is this something I'm missing which is in turn resulting in the aircraft failing to appear?

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Feel free to PM.

 

ChristoffNY

A few questions come to mind, please forgive if they sound condescending.

 

Is your traffic level precentage in the sim higher than what you set it for in the flightplans-txt?

Are there enough parking spaces of the right size at the airport you're at?

Does the title= of the missing plane match exactly plane listed in airplanes-txt?

Is it possible that you might have an FS9 traffic file messing things up?

The time you are at the airport is it GMTor local time?

Lastly, are you sure you compiled it using GMT?

 

Also, check the syntax of the flightplans-txt against a known good one. Make sure you dont have a misplaced comma or something.

You have created two threads on the same subject.

https://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/showthread.php?288569-MAIW-Suddenly-Not-Working

 

-Pv-

Hi,

 

Ill try to answer your questions as you've asked them;

 

1.) I'm not sure, how do I check? In the sim I have traffic density set at the max/100%

2.) I'm using a large international airport which ironically has more empty ramp spaces than occupied ones even at peak times.

3.) Again, I'm unsure of how to check this?

4.) As above (although I don't think so)

5.) I'm visiting in GMT

6.) Definitely in GMT, I checked and rechecked GMTvsLocal a few times to be sure.

7.) How do I go about checking the flight plan against another?

 

Thanks for your help, sorry that most of your questions require long answers. I thought it would be relatively straight forward to create your own flight plans haha. Thanks again,

 

ChristoffNY

You have created two threads on the same subject.

https://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/showthread.php?288569-MAIW-Suddenly-Not-Working

 

-Pv-

 

No I haven't, they relate to two different subjects, one creating flight plans the other about not seeing installed AI.

Hi Christoff,

Loads of usefull info in this thread,

About why the presence of even one FS9 trafficplan prevents the FSX-trafficplans from showing. (And about how to find and convert the FS9 style plan to FSX-style, so everything shows up again. You can use AIFP, among others, to do this, also explained.)

https://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/showthread.php?282842-Where-do-AI-airplanes-go&p=1879640#post1879640

Enjoy!

Hi Christoff,

Loads of usefull info in this thread,

About why the presence of even one FS9 trafficplan prevents the FSX-trafficplans from showing. (And about how to find and convert the FS9 style plan to FSX-style, so everything shows up again. You can use AIFP, among others, to do this, also explained.)

https://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/showthread.php?282842-Where-do-AI-airplanes-go&p=1879640#post1879640

Enjoy!

 

Hi dude tried to PM you but it wouldn't work so I'll post below...

 

 

Hi man,

 

I'm really getting frustrated trying to create my own flight plans. I'm only looking to create a simple flight from an airport to another and back again.

 

I've watched a video on youtube and followed the steps but I can't get a result. I've used GMT and been at the airport a few seconds before waiting for the aircraft to appear but it doesn't. (On that note, can you chose what stand you want the aircraft to start from or does FSX auto assign one based on other traffic?)

 

I've got packages from WOAI installed and they all work perfectly as far as I know so I'm at a loss what I'm doing wrong.

 

When I check my FSX Scenery/World/Scenery folder the .bgl file is there but it also saves text files there for the flightplans, aircraft and airport info. I'm guessing this is wrong as they are the only .txt files that are in the folder. I keep deleting everything and starting again but I'm not getting any results. I've tried started the flight at a different airport but it still doesn't work.

 

I checked through the link that you recommended but there's a lot of phrases I don't understand, I'm a complete novice to creating AI FlightPlans. I'll briefly talk you through the way I create the plans in the hope you can spot the errors I must be making.

 

I use AIFP 3 if that helps at all.

These are the steps I take;

 

1.) Click "aircraft" then add single aircraft to the list.

2.)I select my aircraft and according version in the drop down box below.

3.)Add it to the list so it now appears in the right hand box

4.)Click "start new flight plan"

5.)Enter all the details, Reg, Click 24hr, set at 1% density, enter airports and departure times.

6.)Save Edits

7.)Add leg

8.)Enter details for the return flight, leaving a few hours between arrival and departure time for return flight.

9.) Click "add flight plan to list"

10.)Flight Plan Saved message pops up.

11.) Change C:\FSX\Scenery\World\Scenery\Traffic_xxx.bgl to C:\FSX\Scenery\World\Scenery\Traffic_BMIRegional.bgl

12.)Check target is set to fsx

13.) Note at this time little red hashtags are present above the flight plan box on the left

14.) Click flightplans and validate. Validate without error.

15.)Click Compile. Compile Successful pop up message.

16.)File save flight set as

17.) Save file as Flightplans_BMIRegional

18.)Save successful message pops up.

Close AIFP

Open FSX

Sit in confused/frustrated mode while no a/c appears at airport.

 

Please help.

 

Kind Regards,

 

ChristoffNY

I've also just done a check for an FS9 files and converted them to FSX.

 

My aircraft still doesnt appear but I do now have default AI aircraft appearing again...not that I've missed them.

It looks ok, but some things you did are not 100 clear. Instead of many questions,

I'll just make one myself, and explain. To show you.

simple flight, Frankfurt-Paris and back. (EDDF-LFPG LFPG-EDDF)

 

start AIFP3.

selected: add singl aircraft to list.

by path - simobjects - b737-800

in 'aircraft-title' box I selected my: 737-800 KLM.

clicked: Add to/Update aircraft list.

closed aircraft window.

aircraft is now in aircraft list.

 

clicked: Start new flightplan

first departure and destination

24hr (= trafficplan repeats every day.)

Departure Time: 10.00

ETA gets calculated automatically. I follow that and do not enter anything in the box Override ETA.

 

leave flight rules at IFR.

Set flight level at 270

entered a flightnumber that is easy to spot, 6666

so far:

clicked: Save Edits

 

clicked 'add leg'

departure for next leg already set for LFPG for me.

 

 

 

arrival LFPG was calculated as 11.04

departure LFPG is set to 11.24

I set it a bit later, 11.45 (not required)

 

To: EDDF (Flightplans are circular. The first departure airport MUST be the same as the last arrival airport.

FL 290 (I like flying at those lower FL altitudes myself, and EDDF-LFPG is not very far apart.)

Flight number: 6667

clicked 'Save Edits'.

 

clicked: Add flightplan to list.

AIFP window looks like this now.

first plan created:

 

(you could add more flightplans to a traffic plan (I have never done that yet). For this test this is plenty.)

 

Now to compile it.

I want to create it in a folder on the desktop. Not directly in the "Flight Simulator X\Scenery\World\Scenery" -folder.

So first I create a folder on the desktop. (Called: eddf_lfpg_test )

 

In AIFP3 I select: Set compile parameters.

(I get an error message, but I click continue and all is well.)

I select the correct output folder.

And type in the filename I want to create. ( Traffic_effd_lfpg_test.bgl )

I select: Add/Remove File Name Suffix (_FS9 or FSX).

I select: Sequence Flight Plans for Best AI Performance.

clicked continue.

 

Then, I set it to: Local Time.

(I think it's easyer that way to remember when to expect the aircraft appearing)

 

All set:

Clicked: Compile.

message "Compile Succesfull" popped up briefly.

 

Checked the folder "eddf_lfpg_test", and it now contains a file: Traffic_eddf_lfpg_test_FSX.bgl

 

That should be all that's required.

 

****************************************

(explanation about the text files: )

The text files were easyer to understand a few years ago. In those days another program was used for creating traffic. It's called TTools (TrafficTools).

To use TTools, you would create three textfiles.

One textfile that describes the aircraft that should be used. It contains the "title=" info that you can find in the aircraft.cfg file of the aircraft you want to use for that trafficplan.

One textfile that contains the airports. It contains the coordinates of the airports.

One textfile that contains the flightplan for your flight. Typing that in you had to be very precise. a comma in the wrong place could result in the plan not working.

 

You had to create those textfiles by hand. They had to be named:

Aircraft_*****.txt

Airports_*****.txt

flightplans*****.txt

then you would compile them using TTools, and the resulting trafficfile would be called:

Traffic_*****.bgl

(TTools created only FS9-type trafficplans)

 

AIFP3 creates FSX-Type trafficplans.

and all you need to see the traffic is the .bgl file.

But I still think it's a good idea to save the textfiles too myself. That way you can have a look at them and know what the flightplan is without opening AIFP. And you can see some details, like airport coordinates.

 

But you don't really need them. You can always have a look by opening the .bgl in AIFP. And opening the .bgl in AIFP you can also edit the trafficplan if you want.

(--> end explanation textfiles. )

 

 

To save the textfiles (to the same folder)

click Files,

Save File Set As,

select the correct folder (eddf_lfpg_test),

Type the filename. Looks like the filename that is set is still there from a previous save of another file.

Changed it to: Flightplans_eddf_lfpg_test_FSX.txt

clicked: Save

saw a quick popup: "file set saved"

And the textfiles are in the correct folder (Flightplans_eddf_lfpg_test_FSX.txt Aircraft_eddf_lfpg_test_FSX.txt and Airports_eddf_lfpg_test_FSX.txt)

 

******************

 

Continuing with installing and testing.

well, simple really.

With FSX shut down,

I move the file: Traffic_eddf_lfpg_test_FSX.bgl

to the "Flight Simulator X\Scenery\World\Scenery" -folder.

 

Now I start FSX, and get the folowin popup message, indicating success:

 

First Departure was set to 10.00 from EDDF, local time.

So I go to EDDF, random parking, 10.00 local time.

 

And yes, there it was. Not parked next to me, but I have trafficexplorer installed, so I could easily see all traffic that was around me.

Notice the KLM with flight number 6666.

It's parked at Gate V118 at EDDF. All OK.

 

found it

 

 

**********************

Some things in your description weren't clear, but overall it sounds like you are on the right path.

Some things that can cause a trafficplan not to show:

-1- Aircraft to big. I once tried a antonov 225 addon with a trafficplan, and the parking spots weren't big enough. (Largest aircraft in the world). I fixed it by editing the Airport(!).

-2- Trafficplans don't work with helicopters. At least not normally. You can only use helicopters that have been converted to work like aircraft (!) (They look like a chopper, but actually have invisible props defined in the files.)

-3- FS9 trafficplan files installed.

AIFP3 plans are fsx style trafficplans. (FSX=FS10).

WOAI (and some others) are FS9 style trafficplans.

When there are both FSX type and FS9 type trafficplans installed, only the FS9 -style trafficplans will show up when flying.

--I see you converted them already, and you see default traffic. Default traffic is fsx-style, so seeing that means you have no FS9 style plans installed.

 

Can't think of anything else right now. Enjoy!

il88pp.

Followed your post to the letter and.....

 

 

SUCCESS!!!! I now have working flightplans! Thank you so much for your in-depth and detailed post, I can now create flights! I'm not sure what I was doing wrong the first time but it is working now!

 

I've been trying to create flights with one particular AI aircraft I've downloaded but for some reason FSX doesn't allow it to appear when I start the sim. I'll have a play around and see but at least I now know how to create flights!

 

Thanks!!

 

Regards

 

ChristoffNY

Nice one, well done!

Glad I could help out, happy flights!

il88pp.

 

 

 

( Sent from Chromium browser, running on RedoBackup Live CD:) )

I know that this thread was in Feb 2011, but could you help me too?! I too followed your steps to the "T", and my plane showed up too...but when it came time to depart, it did nothing...it just sat there. I even went in and moved the time a bit forward to see if it would do a pushback and start its taxi to the runway...nothing...

 

Btw, spot-on tutorial!! :) :)

Try to remember if you used GMT or Local time for the plan. Then use that time setting in fsx when choosing the time to check.

hi all, sorry to resurrect a dead thread, but I'm having very similar issues on my FSX, and not sure what's going on exactly.

 

So I recently installed the new Istanbul Airport (LTFM) and so I had to spend a few hours manually moving each airline's AI FP to LTFM from LTBA (old IST). Now to do this, I used AI FP to replace all instances of LTBA with LTFM for each flight plan. Then I saved the 3 text files to a dummy folder. I use TTools to compile the 3 files into a BGL and I save it back into FSX. When I do this and reopen FSX, only the 40 or so BGLs I modified are now appearing in FSX and all other airlines have vanished. I used TTools to update my UA flight plan as well as a side note, even though they don't fly to IST. Now when I go to SFO, there's only UA planes and a lone LH,EK A380. Of course the LH and EK are flight plans I modified for the new IST airport. I go to DFW, only 4-5 UA planes, no AA planes anywhere to be found.

 

I saw somewhere earlier in this thread that TTools compiles into an FS2004 flight plan? And that if there are FS2004 flight plans mixed among FSX flight plans, then only the FS2004 flight plans will show up even in FSX? How can I fix this? Do I have to go through all those FPs and convert them back into FSX flight plans through AIFP? Thanks in advance for your help guys!

 

If it helps, all the original AI FPs were installed with Sky AI V2.0, so not sure what version of flight plans they use. Thanks again!

Edited April 18, 2020 by indiantrollboss

In FSX, if you have even ONE FS9 format flight plan, then ONLY the FS9 format traffic will show - all FSX format flight plans will not show.

 

To change that, you need to use AIFP to find and convert your FS9 format flight plans to the FSX format - which is very easy to do.

 

In the future, you should make up you TTools flight plan text files as you normally do, but then use AIFP to compile them.

 

Jorgen